this morning to consider of the addition of a new Member to the Board, His Honour expressed his Inclination to Introduce William Hicks, Esquire, to a seat in the Council, and proposed him for that purpose, and none of the Members present making any Objections thereto, it is ordered that that Gentleman be Summoned to attend at the next meeting of the Council, in order to take the usual qualifications, and be admitted to his seat at this Board.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Thursday 5th December, 1771.

PRESENT:

The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c.,

William Hicks, Esq having been summoned to attend the Council, this day appeared at the Board, and took and Subscribed the usual qualification and also took an Oath for the Faithful discharge of his duty as a Member of the proprietary and Governor's Council, and was then admitted to his seat at the Board.

Killbuck and the two other Delaware Indians from the Ohio being sent for to receive the Governor's answer to the Message he lately brought from the western Indians appeared; and being seated, the Governor delivered to them his answer in the following words, Viz:

"Brethren:

"By this String I perform the same Ceremonys towards you, which agreeable to custom, were observed by you towards me.

A String.

"Brethren:

"Now attend to the answer I am going to give to your speeches, and that you may know I have rightly understood you, I shall repeat the substance of what you spoke.

"You told me you was deputed by four Nations, namely: Delawares, Munsies, Mohickons, and Shawanese; that the Business was -weighty and of great Consequence, relating not only to this Government, but equally to the Governments of Virginia and Maryland, as well as this province, and accordingly you had a Belt for each of us, which you delivered to me, with a Request that I would send the other two to the other Governors, together with the Message you was charged with. You then proceeded to the Business itself, informing me that about six years agoe, at a visit you paid

to Sir William Johnson, He, by you, informed the Indians on the Ohio that there should be some person of a Public Character sent to reside at Fort Pitt, to whom the Indians might have Recourse when any Business was wanted to be done with any of their Brethren, the English; and that this was Solemnly promised again to the Indians at the great Treaty which was held on the part of the King about three years agoe, at Fort Pitt; That you were the only Tribes of Indians who were without such a public person, for the Northern Indians of the Six Nations had opportunity of holding. annual Treaties with Sir William Johnson, and the Southern Indians with a person appointed like him and Residing at Charles Town.

"And you further said that, as you had many disorderly Indians, and especially among your young Men, who only could be Restrained by the presence of a person who should have authority to call all such disorderly Persons forthwith to account, if so necessary and useful a measure should be any longer delayed, it was highly probable that the peace now so happily subsisting between us would not last long, for quarrels were every day arising, and more would arise, that must break the Chain of Friendship, and therefore desired that on the part of these middle Provinces of Virginia, Maryland, and this Province, there might be a person sent to reside at Fort Pitt, invested with powers to do Indian Business, in the same manner as is done for the Northern and Southern Indians.

"You concluded with desiring that the three Governments would send a particular account of this request of yours to His Majesty. "Brethren :

"I shall not fail in Compliance with your request, to forward Your Message and Belts to the Governors of Virginia and Maryland.

"I make no doubt but Sir William Johnson has had Conferences with the Six Nations, and likewise has corresponded with his Majesty's Ministers on so Important a subject as the placing of a person to do Indian Business at Fort Pitt. I shall therefore send a copy of your request to him, that I may know every thing that has been done in Relation to this affair, in order thence to be able to write properly on this subject to his Majesty."

A Belt.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that he had waited on Mr. Galloway, the Speaker of the Assembly, in order to know the minds of himself and the other Members of Assembly in Town, respecting the payments of such Rewards as might be offered for apprehending the persons concerned in the Rescue of the Pilot Boat which had been seized last month by the Custom-House officers, and that Mr. Galloway had desired him to inform the Governor that he had Consulted all the Members of Assembly who were in Town, and that as the matter was entirely new and without a precedent, they

could not undertake to say what might be the sentiments of the House thereon, and therefore they declined any engagements on their Behalf, for the payment of any Rewards that should be offered, or advising the Governor at all on this Occasion.

The Council thereupon advised the Governor to issue a Proclamation requiring all officers and others to use their utmost endeavours for apprehending and securing the persons concerned in the above mentioned outrage, and promising a pardon to any one of the Offenders who should inform against, or make known one or more of his accomplices, so that they be brought to Conviction.

The following Proclamation being prepared by the Secretary, was approved and accordingly Issued, Viz:

"By the Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsyl vania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Dela

ware.

"A PROCLAMATION.

"WHEREAS, an Information hath been made to me by John Swift, Esquire, Collector of his Majesty's Customs for the Port of Philadelphia, Supported by the depositions of several Persons taken before the Chief Justice of this Province, That Thomas Mushet, commanding a Schooner belonging to the Custom House of the said Port, on the twenty-third day of November last, did seize, as forfeited, in the River Delaware, a certain Pilot Boat, laden with a variety of Contraband goods, and that between the Hours of nine and ten in the Night Time of the same day, upwards of thirty men, Armed with Clubs and Cutlasses, and disguised in Sailors' dresses, with their Faces smutted, did, in a most violent and outrageous Manner, enter on Board the said Schooner, then lying at anchor together with the said Pilot Boat near Red Bank, in the River aforesaid, and Immediately attacking the people belonging to the said Custom House Schooner, did most cruelly and inhumanly beat, cut, and wound the said Thomas Mushet, and two of his People, and after Confining them and the rest of the crew in the Hold of the Schooner, they cut her sails and Rigging to pieces, and rescued and carried off the Pilot Boat with her lading, which had been seized as aforesaid; I have therefore thought fit, by and with the Advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, and do hereby strictly Charge, enjoin, and Require all Officers, Civil and Military, and all other His Majesty's liege Subjects within this Province, to make diligent Search and Enquiry after the principal Perpetrators of the said Outrage, and all others who were in any Manner concerned therein; and if any of the Offenders shall be found within this Province, to use their utmost endeavours to apprehend and Secure them, that they may be proceeded against according to Law. And

for the better discovering the said Offenders, I do hereby Promise His Majesty's most Gracious Pardon to any one of the Persons concerned therein, who shall inform against or make known any one or more of the Principals or their accomplices, so that he or they be prosecuted to Conviction within this Province.

"Given under my Hand and the Great Seal of the said Province, at Philadelphia, the fifth-day of December, in the twelfth Year of His Majesty's Reign, and in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one.

"By His Honour's Command.

"RICHARD PENN.

"JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun" Secretary.

“GOD SAVE THE KING.”

MEMORANDUM, the 1st of January, 1772.

The Governor was this day pleased to appoint Peter Miller, Esquire, a Justice of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and of the County Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of Philadelphia, by a Special Commission, in order to accommodate him in his office of Notary and Tabellion Public, by enabling him to take the Acknowledgements of Deeds, &c2

MEMORANDUM, the 7th of January 1772.

Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor with a Verbal Message, acquainting him that the House were met pursuant to Adjournment, and desired to know if His Honour had any Business to lay before them, to which the Governor Replyed that he had no particular Matter now to Recommend to their Consideration, but as soon as any occurred he should Communicate the same to the House.

At a Council held at Philad on Wednesday 8th January, 1772.

The Governor laid before the Board a Letter from Captain Sutherland, commanding the King's Troops in the Barracks of this City,

with a Report of the Deficient state of the Barracks, and the Furniture and Necessaries wanted to Accommodate the Troops therein, which were Read, and the Letter follows in these Words, Vizt:

"Sir:

"PHILADELPHIA, JanuTM 5th, 1772.

"I have taken the Liberty of enclosing to you a return of the Bedding, Barrack Furniture, &c., wanting for the Regiment under my Command, which I beg may be, through you, laid before the Honourable House of Assembly, that Provision may be made for supplying them. You will see by the inclosed state that the allowance hitherto made, is in every Respect inadequate, particularly with regard to the article of Bedding, which the present Severity of the Weather renders absolutely Necessary, as they have at present only one Blankett per man. The allowance of small Beer, &c., which is allways made to his Majesty's Troops wherever they are quartered, will, I flatter myself, meet with no Obstruction when Represented by you, particularly from a Province which has always been Remarkable for providing in a proper manner for the Troops quartered with them.

"I hope the absolute Necessity there is for this application, will, in some part, apologize for this trouble, being well assured that if it solely depended upon Yourself, the solicitation would be unneces sary. I have the honor to be, Sir,

"Y" most obedient Servant,

"NICHOLAS SUTHERLAND.

"The Hon RICH PENN, Esqr"

The Governor thereupon, by the advice of the Board, immediately sent the following Message to the Assembly by the Secretary, directing him at the same time to lay before them the report therein Referred to, which was accordingly done.

"Gentlemen:

(( Having received from Captain Sutherland a report of the Present State of the Barracks, with an Account of many Articles said to be wanting for the accommodation of the Officers and Soldiers quartered there, at his request I have ordered the Secretary to lay the same before you for your Consideration, with an Assurance that I shall be ready to join you in any thing you may Judge proper, or that can reasonably be expected to be done on this Occasion, "RICHARD PENN.

"January 8, 1772."

Eodem die, P. M.

Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor and presented him a Message from the House in the following words, viz':